Chavez Wins Third Term

Posted on Dec 4, 2006

Hugo Chavez has successfully defended his post and secured another six-year term as Venezuela’s president following an election held on Sunday. During his acceptance speech, Chavez reprised his pet name for President Bush, saying his victory was “another defeat for the devil.”

BBC:

With most of the ballots counted, Mr. Chavez had taken more than 60% of the vote, officials said.

The president, who has secured the support of the poor by using oil to fund welfare, told crowds his left-wing “Bolivarian revolution” had triumphed.

Admitting defeat, his Social Democrat rival said he would go on “fighting for democracy” in the streets if necessary.

“It’s another defeat for the devil, who tries to dominate the world,” Mr. Chavez told cheering supporters, mocking U.S. President George W. Bush, and sending out a “brotherly” salute to Cuba’s President Fidel Castro.

Relations between Caracas and Washington have come under increasing strain in the past few years, with the U.S. accusing Mr. Chavez of trying to destabilise Latin America.